Thanks to all of you who reviewed my story - I really appreciate your support! I promise I'll update as much as I am able to! Thanks again, God Bless!



Michael and Meg Vaughn looked like the perfect couple as they strolled down Aisle 3 in their local grocery store. Michael pushed the cart as he had done many times before, and followed Meg as she threw miscellaneous items into it. She occasionally looked back at him to smile, and lightly brush her arm over his. He loved his wife, he knew that much. Her entire face lit up when she smiled, warming his heart and soul.

However, Michael Vaughn's heart was broken. It was growing impossible to hide from Meg. He always joked that she should have been a spy; she had a sixth sense when it came to his emotions. The night that he returned home and she had dropped the glass, they had not said another word about the CIA...or Sydney Bristow. This lack of communication was killing them both.

As Michael steered the cart, his mind drifted to a conversation he had with Sydney years before. She had remarked that it was ironic that she only seemed to lie to those she loved. It was ironic, that was for sure. Lately irony had seemed to overtake his life. He looked up at his wife, watching her dance around in the aisle as she hummed a familiar tune. Yes, she was beautiful, and yes, he loved her. The simple fact was that she would never be Sydney Bristow. When he looked up again, he saw Sydney dancing in the aisle, which opened his mind up to a greater truth - if Syd had never disappeared, they would be married.

Suddenly a small cry from the cart snapped Michael from his silent reverie. His daughter, Taryn looked up at him with big brown eyes, and he grabbed her tiny hand to let her know she had his attention. He looked up again and smiled solemnly at his wife, Meg, still dancing in the aisle. Yes, maybe this wasn't the way things should be, but it was the way things were. Sooner or later, he'd accept it.


*****


"It's not my fault you ran out of beer Eric."

"Yes it is, Bristow. I saw you take the last one." Weiss returned.

"Whatever, Will took it." Sydney shouted

"I did not!" Will chimed in, and the seriousness of his expression left Sydney and Eric hysterical.

"God, you guys I do NOT know what I would do without you. I mean who else is so ridiculously stupid?" Sydney laughed.

"All I know is they're going to kick us out of this place, and it will be all your fault guys, so shut up!" Will spat out. Eric looked at Sydney who winked at him, and could no longer contain his laughter. Sydney joined in, smiling ear to ear. She had never previously gotten thrown out of a grocery store; it would be quite amusing. It was amazing, that after years of being a spy and traveling around the world, that these little things still entertained her. Go figure. She wasn't paying attention as she turned around the corner of the aisle, and slammed into a woman about her height.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry! I wasn't even paying..." Sydney's voice trailed off as she looked up. Her eyes met a face nearly identical to hers, and then with a very pale-faced Michael Vaughn.

"...attention," she finished, doing her best to smile again. The woman stared at her, looking confused as she looked back to Vaughn.

"Honey?" Meg questioned, looking at him. He took a deep breath, and ignored his wife's question, looking directly at Sydney.

"Hey Syd," he said, and looked into his wife's eyes, "this is my wife, Meg."


*****


Sydney slammed the door to Eric's apartment and immediately threw herself onto his leather couch. Will and Eric proceeded with caution, not sure what actions to pursue. The ride back to his apartment had been completely silent, and they both knew Sydney was feeling horrible. They both took a seat simultaneously in matching leather chairs, and waited. It was several minutes before Sydney spoke.

"She seems nice," she said icily. Will looked at Eric and sighed.

"I'll go get some ice cream." Will said, grabbing Eric's car keys, and walked out the door. Sydney was silent again, except for the quiet sobs that were beginning to shake her body. Eric was instantly by her side on the couch, and lifted her up to cradle her in his arms.

"Syd, come in, it will be okay."he said quietly.

"Oh God, Eric. How will anything ever be okay again? I mean, it's bad enough knowing that he's married, that he's a father. But to see her, to see them both? Oh God." her shoulders shook violently, and he cupped her chin to turn her face toward his own.

"Syd...I know you don't want to hear this, but things are different now. He's married, he has a daughter. Now I KNOW he's never going to love Meg like he loved you, but Taryn, his little girl, changes everything."

Sydney looked up at him, pools of tears falling from her big brown eyes and smiled as he wiped them away from her face.

"Thank you Eric, I know you're right. It's just hard. I love him. To him, it's been two years since I've been gone. I can't deny that I understand, because I went through the same thing with Danny. But to me Eric, it's only been two days since I disappeared. There's this large chunk of my life that I feel I will never get back."

"I know Syd. I know," She buried her head in his shoulder and he held onto her silently for a few minutes, before saying quietly, "Well, Will's coming back with ice cream, and then you'll KNOW everything will be okay."

He could've sworn he heard muffled laughter coming from the direction of his shoulder, but ignored it in favor of returning to silence, stroking her hair and rocking her softly. Suddenly he spoke.

"I'll find out what happened to you Sydney, and when I do, whoever did this will pay." Sydney gasped, and looked up at him, noting the fire in his eyes as he looked straight ahead. As they sat anticipating Will's return, her tearful 'thank you' was all that was heard.


*****


Miles away, a smile crept across the face of a villainous being.

"I'll pay, Mr. Weiss? It's a pity I'll have to kill you. You've always made me laugh."